Comments by Pam Padgett
My great-aunt, Aunt Eunice, had gone to the Baptist church, I think all of her life. As an adult she was very active in the Baptist church, even cleaning the church each week. I'm sure everyone in our family had no doubt that Aunt Eunice was a Christian.
When she was in her 80's, there was a large family reunion. At one point during the gathering, Aunt Eunice got up and announced with great joy and excitement that she was now born again! She said she had always thought she was born again, but she now knew that she hadn't been born again until recently.
I was sitting next to Aunt Eunice's oldest daughter. She leaned over to me and said "I don't know why Mother is saying this. She just recently started talking like this. But she has always been a Christian. Everyone knows how she has worked at the church and done whatever needed to be done for years."
This daughter obviously didn't understand being born again, but it caused me to rejoice to hear what Aunt Eunice said.
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Comments by Joan Boney:
My aunt was Church of Christ all her adult age. She was different from all the other relatives. We got along great. They were afraid of her but I was never afraid of Aunt Ardath. They would say, "What would Ardath say?" She was their gold standard concerning what was right and wrong. But she wasn't that way with me.
After I was born again, I was at her house and the Holy Spirit said to me, "Tell her about being taken into heaven." I didn't want to do that! She was Church of Christ! You don't tell supernatural religious things to Church of Christ.
But I knew it was the Holy Spirit telling me to do this so I yielded myself to that which the Holy Spirit said for me to do.
I began telling my aunt this story: After I was born again, I was transported into heaven in the night while I was sleeping. I was with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit. (I saw no physical images. It was in the spirit.) At that time I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and the Holy Spirit witnessing.
As I told her this story, I noticed that a type of dreamy look came upon her face.
After I finished speaking, she said to me: "Something like that happened to me once and it was all golden."
Then I knew why we always got along so well.
She once said to me, "I always knew you would never do anything wrong."
I did everything wrong! But she must have seen me by faith. For after I was born again I was completely changed instantly.
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When we are born again, we know we didn't do anything to cause us to be born again or to justify our being born again, it was all by the will of God.
I think this causes us to be more merciful toward those who are not born again.
Romans 9:
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall Thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For HE saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew MY power in thee, and that MY name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath HE mercy on whom HE will have mercy, and whom HE will HE hardeneth.
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall Thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For HE saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew MY power in thee, and that MY name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath HE mercy on whom HE will have mercy, and whom HE will HE hardeneth.
(For additional information, please listen to today's Podcast at top of this blog.)
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